This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Audio/Visual: silent, b&w
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Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: pyroreindeer - - February 22, 2009
Subject: Students Misled For 80 Years.
Sad to say no one seems to have noticed over the last 80 or so years that there is a mistake in the diagram where they show the transformer with a 20 to 1 turns ratio from left to right. In the diagram they show 110 volts on the side with the large number of windings (left side) and 2200 volts on the side with the small number of turns (right side). The voltage labels should be reversed. Sorry I couldn't help noticeing this but I have an engineering sickness. Just think of all the students who were led astray over the better part of a century by this film. Oh the humanity!! Rate it 1 for corrupting generations of youth.

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - January 16, 2006
Subject: About as Interesting as Physics Class
Silent 20s film in which basic principles of electromagnetism are taught through simple animated drawings and disembodied hands performing basic experiments. This is pretty dry, but it does have some interesting visual images to play around with.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - May 14, 2005
Subject: Where's Dyna Girl When you need her?
Fairly numbing piece about Magnets, Electricity and the ilk. The first half is ok, with the hands and the ring and the machine, but then it goes into nothing but diagrams, and, I'm sorry, that did it for me.

Reviewer: Wilford B. Wolf - - October 1, 2004
Subject: Science!
Early educational film covering Electromagnetism, circa late 1920s. This silent film, explains the principle of how an electromagnet works, using minimalist animation and a funky disembodied hand and a voltmeter. Then it goes on to talk about the different types of electromagnet used, especially in relation to electricity. The generator is briefly covered, and it shifts to how a transformer works, with some nice animated illustrations.

The film finishes with the role transformers play in long-distance energy transmission from hydroelectric sources, with shots of period electricity production equipment.

Overall, a good overview of the science with some quirky illustrations.